The Point

The Point, May 11, 2023: Teachers' unions begin legal fight against new Florida law

WUFT | By WUFT News,

WUFT News

Published May 11, 2023 at 12:00 PM EDT

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Today's Florida stories

• WFSU-Tallahasse: Florida's teachers' unions and others are suing over new law aimed at curbing public employee unions. "Republicans had tried for years to pass what critics call a union-busting bill. The proposal builds on past efforts aimed at curbing public employee unions. The right of those workers to collectively bargain is enshrined in Florida’s constitution, but the public employee unions have often opposed the state’s Republican leadership."

• NPR News: Florida rejects some social studies textbooks and pushes publishers to change others. "The Florida Department of Education announced Tuesday that it had approved 66 of 101 submissions for new social studies textbooks — some of which only got through after publishers made revisions requested by the state."

• Politico: DeSantis readies more migrant flights as he intensifies fight with Biden. "Building on the program that DeSantis used to fly nearly 50 mostly Venezuelan migrants from Texas to Martha’s Vineyard in September, the state’s Division of Emergency Management this week chose three different vendors to 'provide ground and air transportation and other related services' to support future trips."

• WMFE-Orlando: DeSantis-appointed board governing Disney properties hires new administrator. "Walt Disney Parks and Resorts U.S. is challenging the move to create the new board — and its authority — in federal court. The company cites political retaliation from the governor and GOP lawmakers for its free speech on a political issue."

• Associated Press: Judge who presided over the Parkland school shooting trial announces her resignation. "The Florida judge who oversaw the penalty trial of the Parkland mass murderer is resigning. Circuit Judge Elizabeth Scherer sent a resignation letter to Gov. Ron DeSantis saying she will step down June 30."

• FLKeysNews ($): How the launch of 4 new weather satellites will change hurricane forecasts and tracking. "Until now, weather satellites could only pass over hurricanes about once every six hours. Once the four satellites are in space and working together as a “constellation,” NASA said they will be able to pass over and observe tropical systems about once an hour."

• Palm Beach Post ($): Appeals court opens way to judge's review of Epstein grand jury transcripts. "An appeals court has reversed a judge’s decision that blocked The Palm Beach Post’s access to records of 2006 proceedings leading a grand jury to charge financier Jeffrey Epstein with just a single charge of soliciting a prostitute."

• Mainstreet Daily News: Former Gainesville mayor Mac McEachern dies at 92. "McEachern is the third former Gainesville mayor to die in 2023. On Jan. 12, Jim Painter, 71, lost his fight with cancer and on Jan. 14, Stuart 'Craig' Lowe died at the age of 65."

• Bradenton Herald ($): New Chick-Fil-A didn’t build a traffic lane it promised. Bradenton threatens opening. "Other (Bradenton city) council members said they were 'very disappointed' in Chick-Fil-A for casting the city’s transportation safety needs aside. Even before city officials approved it, they expressed serious concern about how the restaurant would affect traffic on Manatee Avenue and 43rd Street West."